Artemis 1: NASA finds engine fault in Moon rocket, launch postponed

In an anti-climactic announcement after an electric build-up, American space agency NASA decided to postpone the launch of its Moon rocket Artemis 1.

NASA discovered a temperature issue in one of the four RS-25 engines in the giant rocket, leading to cancellation of the launch on 29 August. Alternative launch dates for Artemis 1 are 2 and 5 September.

Earlier, NASA had found a hydrogen leak in the engines, and a crack in the thermal protection system material around the rocket's core. These issues had been fixed before the launch window.

The Artemis 1 mission involves an uncrewed flight around the Moon. Its aim is to test the launch system and Orion crew capsule which would eventually take US astronauts to the Moon after a gap of many years.

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